Summersville Dam – LLOYD'S LENS PHOTOGRAPHY LLC

A View From The Bottom Of The Lake

black and white photography, Summersville Lake

Hello Friends! Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “Summersville Dam 60921bwa” and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.

The sound of rushing water fills my ears as I approach the base of the dam. A family of otters playfully dart across the cool grass and glide into the rapids which they effortlessly navigate. The swift waters would quickly overcome most human swimmers but the otters don’t even seem to notice them. The highly oxygenated leg of the Gauley River is rich with crawldads and small fish and the otters will soon enjoy a buffet of all their favorites.

The earthen dam towers above me and I consider how depths swallowed an entire town just two years before my birth. I think about all the changes the mountains have seen. In the years since the lake was created we’ve gone not only to the moon but have sent robots to Mars. The latter being the science fiction of my childhood. I wonder what the next 55 years will hold? I wouldn’t be disappointed if it included submarine tours of the deep lakes. Perhaps I’ll get to see that monster catfish lurking in the submerged caves behind this giant stone wall one day. Or I might even see the descendants of those otters playing their games in the lake.

Good night friends and be blessed throughout your days.

Announcement 2.0

For those who have been following me on Facebook and know of the struggle content providers have to get circulation from big tech I’ve been recommending for people to adopt MeWe as a social media platform. One of the problems I’ve run into on MeWe is that people don’t know how to navigate the platform. So to help with that I’ve created a permanent page on my website as a basic Basic Beginner’s Guide To MeWe I’ve tried to anticipate all basic questions there and You can bookmark the page to have as a reference and if you have any questions or suggestions don’t hesitate to contact me. I do still have a day job and I help admin several pages on both platforms so replies might be a little slow but I will answer you.

We also have the Lloyd’s Lens Photography Discussion Group on MeWe that is set up as a fully functional community. There you’ll not only be able to see and connect with me but you can also make your own posts and interact with each other.

I want you to join my group on MeWe: https://mewe.com/join/lloydslensphotographydiscussiongroup

Click the link below to jump to the Basic Beginner’s Guide To MeWe.https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/guide-to-mewe/embed/#?secret=GJGnIQEVHc

Hey Friends! Just a quick reminder that Lloyds Lens Photography is available for portraits!

To book me simply reach out using the Contact Page and we’ll set a date. If you’re within a 50 mile radius of Summersville West Virginia all travel fees are waived.

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WELCOME TO LLOYD’S LENS PHOTOGRAPHY

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Clicking on the photo takes you tohttps://www.zazzle.com/lloydslensphotos?rf=238248269630914251Lastly, all of the photos and writings are my original work unless otherwise specified and are not to be copied or reproduced without expressed written permission from the photographerThank you again for your support of my page!♥️

A Rainy Day Dream Near Gad

Color Photography

Hello friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Into The Storm 10420” and is available for purchase by the instructions at the bottom of the article.

The occasional raindrop finds it’s way into the cab of my big blue truck through the slightly opening in the window. I can hear the sloshing of the wheels as I cruise across the top of the dam. The gray sky encompasses all that my eyes survey. The rain is steady but not heavy. As I approach the dam the rain lightens into a soft mist and I decided to step out for a few minutes. The ghost town of Gad lays just below somewhere. I’m to young to remember Gad but the terrain in some of the pictures I’ve seen looks close to the landscape just below the dam. The soft rain continues and I think about it soaking the mud and stones in what was once a fertile ground with crops and cattle. The ring foundation of an old silo is still visible even when the lake is full. I’m sure that lake bottom has been thoroughly searched by divers when it’s full and walkers at winter pool but I’ve always had daydreams of looking down at the mud and spotting a box of antique coins or jewelry that was left behind or lost when the town was evacuated. Such is the dreams of children. The idea came from a black and white photo of canvas tents on a hill and the rumor is that it was a civil war camp and a possible place where legendary “lost confederate gold” might have been. But when you study the history you learn that there was no gold to be shipped. In fact the south was lucky to have enough brass to build a cannon much less gold to pay soldiers. The truth about those tents is that it’s a photo of either a railroad survey crew or a band of gypsies that was known to use that spot. Which now that I think about it means it’s more likely that these last two groups would have gold to lose.

You can see the tents here as well as some of other photos of Gad.

The rain begins to pick up again and so I have to return my lens to its protective case after only a few shots and return myself to road home.

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Did you know that I also do portraits by appointment? If you’re interested in a portrait session either message me on Facebook or Use the Contact form. The YouTube link below takes you one of my slideshows.

https://youtu.be/FDcrY6w8oY8

Have you checked out the Zazzle Store?

I’m now using Zazzle to fulfil orders. What this means for you is a secure way to place an order, discount codes & a broader product selection! Simplymessage me on Facebookoruse the contact form on my websiteand tell me which image you want and I’ll reply with a direct link to where you can place the order.

Thank you again for your support of my page!❤

Old Man Winter Arrives

Color Photography, Landscapes, winter

Hello friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Summersville Dam 1420” and is available for purchase by the instructions at the bottom of the article.

Old Man Winter finally arrives in Appalachian Mountains. The low gray sky blankets my mountains drenching us with a cold rain. Soon the tops of every hill will be capped with ice and snow. I have kept track myself over the years and we normally don’t have a significant snowfall until mid January through the end of February and occasionally early March. I’ve seen more white Easters than I have white Christmases. But today is simply wet and moody.

Even at that it’s the winter rain and snowmelt the fuels the spring. Even in mid December the Solomon’s Seal has begun to send shoots. ( which is normal)

I stood on top of the dam with the cold wind and rain challenging my jacket. The constant moan of the wind buffets my ears as I begin to mentally compose the shot in my mind’s eye. In spite of the harsh conditions I’m drawn into the gently swept curve of road and texture of the swirling clouds above. I knelt down as far as could without getting into the chilled mud and snapped the shutter a few times. The heater I the big blue truck soon calls my name and as I open the door I remove the wet jacket to allow the heat to reach me. As I pull back onto the pavement that gentle curve beckons me to follow the yellow lines towards home.

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Thoughts On Late November

Color Photography

Hello friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Summersville Dam 112619” and is available for purchase by the instructions at the bottom of the article.

Late November brings the end of the vibrant colors of fall and marks the beginning of winter in my natural calendar. The opening lyrics of “California Dreaming” fill my mind as I cross the top of Summersville Dam and take in the brown leaves that still cling to the trees. The fact that I still have a blue sky is enough to break the somber moment. I continued across the dam and began to notice that cottages and camps along the road were dressed up with the bright colors of the holiday season and after the sun goes down you can stand on a nearby mountain and all the little lights seem to form temporary constellations. The winter sky is clear most of the time and it’s easy to imagine that you’refloating in space looking out across eternity. As I pulled into the driveway of the farm where I grew up I noticed how green the holly and cedar are. The cedar even sports the dark blue berries right up into Spring. Soon a soft blanket of snow will come and make the bright red of the cardinals stand out from the gray world of winter. The colors are still there if I just look for them. The amber glow from the fireplace warms the soul as well as the body and before you know it the crocus will be popping up with a promise of new life.

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https://youtu.be/FDcrY6w8oY8

Have you checked out the Zazzle Store?

I’m now using Zazzle to fulfil orders. What this means for you is a secure way to place an order, discount codes & a broader product selection! Simply message me on Facebook oruse the contact form on my websiteand tell me which image you want and I’ll reply with a direct link to where you can place the order.

Thank you again for your support of my page!❤

Evening Drive In Summertime

Color Photography, Summersville Lake

The humid summer air blows through the can of the big blue truck as I cross the top of the dam. Summer is a time for leaving the windows down and the radio up.

As a young man it was important to visit all the parking lots on summer evenings so that you could catch up with your friends. Today the restaurant at the top of the dam is Fat Eddie’s but in those days it was a Dairy Queen. I remember once when the girls convened everyone to tune in the same radio station so that the same music was playing all through the group. I can’t really remember who’s idea it was in the first place but I remember someone saying “Music brings us together.” The lake in summer will be associated with the music of the 80s. Something that seems to be missing from music entertainment is the voice of the DJ. I know that today music artists call themselves “DJ” but I’m talking about the announcers that delivered a monologue between sets. Today we have a playlist on our phone or other device that delivers a continuous stream of song but the friend who rode with you everywhere is missing. On one of my devices I have a few clips from DJs worked into the mix for “old times sake”.

When I approached the dam and the evening sky all the memories seemed come back at once. A lot of things have changed since the responsibly free summer evenings of my youth. But crossing the dam with the windows down and music up isn’t one of them.

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https://youtu.be/FDcrY6w8oY8

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